Corn stripping and husking mechanism



No. 606,824. Pat'entd luly 5, I898. A. STEINER.

CORN STRIPPING AND HUSKING MECHANISM.

(Application filed Mar. 25, 1896.) (No Model.) 3 Shets-Sheet I.

THE NORRIS PETERS co PHOTFLLITHOY. WASHINETON, n. c.

' No. 606,824. Patnted July 5, I898.

STEINER.

BURN STRIPPING AND HUSKING MECHANISM.

(Application filed Mar. 25. 1896) (No Madel.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

THE moms PETERS co, Pnowumo WASHINGTON, m c.

No. 606,824. Patented July 5, I898.

A. STEINER.

CORN STRIPPING AND HUSKING MECHANISM.

(Application filed Mar. 25, 1896.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model'.)

(Q hk/ P TENT ii; rarest.

AUcUsT STEINER, or IIoMEwooD, ILLINOIS.

CORN STRIPPIN'G AND HUSKING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of'Letters Patent No. 606,824, dated July 5,1898. A li atio fil d March 25, 1896. :SeriaI No. 584,794. (llo model.)

T at whom it may concern/.-

- Be it known that 1, AUGUST STEINER, acitizen of the United States,residing at Homewood, in the county of Oook and State of Illinois, haveinvented new anduseful Improvements in Corn Stripping and HnskingMechanism, ofwhich the following is a specification. Y

This invention relates to corn stripping and husking mechanism,- and isdesigned as an improvement on Patents Nos. 436,386 and 535,228,respectively granted to me on September 16, 1890, and March 5, 1895.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a machine of simpleand improved construction, economical, and effective in-op-- eration forstripping ears of corn from the stalks, then huskin g or shucking thesame in a thorough manner, and finally-delivering the same from themachine.

The invention consists, substantially, in the construction, combination,relative arrangement, and location of parts, all as will be more fullyhereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawings, andfinally 'pointed out in theappended claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings and to the various viewsand reference signs appearing thereon, and wherein- Figure 1 is a planview of my entire machine, parts being in horizontal section and partsbeing broken away, embodying in its construction the various featurescomprising the present invention; Fig. 2 is a view in, rear elevation ofthe same, parts being broken away and parts in vertical section. Fig. 3is a View in side elevation from the left-hand side of the machine,parts being broken and parts in section. Fig. at is a detached detailview in vertical section, showing the arrangement of the gatheringdevices. Fig. 5 is a detached detail View showing the manner of mountingthe snapping-rolls. Fig. 6 is a de tached detail view, parts being invertical section, of thecoupling of the shaft which drives the uppergathering-chain. Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 7 7, Fig. 6,looking in the direction of the arrows.

The same part is indicated by the same ref- .erence sign wherever itoccurs throughout the several views. a 7

Reference sign A designates the framework of the machine, upon which thevarious parts hereinafter described and referred to are mounted. In thisframeworkis suitably j ournaled a main driving-shaft 8, which may berotated from any suitable source of power in case the machine isemployed as a stationary -machine, or upon which may be mounted thetraction-wheels 9 and the draft'appliances 10 in case the machine isused as a movable machine. The shaft 8 constitutes the main driveshaft,from which the parts hereinafter to be described are driven.

Mounted upon shaft or axle 8 are the gears 12,arranged to mesh withsimilar gears 13, mounted upon a counter-shaft 14, suitably journaled inthe framework of the machine. .Upon shaft 14: is mounted a sprocket orother gear 15, arranged to engage with and actuate a sprocket-chain orother suitable gearing 16',

which in turn engages and drives a sprocketfgear upon shaft 17, suitablyjournaled in the framework. Gears 1S and 19 are mounted upon and drivenby shaft 17, said gear 18 arranged to engage and drive gear 20 upon theshaft 21, by which the snapping-rolls are driven, as will be presentlymore fully explained, and said gear 19 is arranged to drive through gear22 a short shaft 23, from which the husk loosening and removingmechanisms are driven and actuated, as will presently be more fullyexplained.

I11 the main, and with the exception of shaft 23, the construction andarrangement so far described is substantially the same as that shown anddescribed in my prior patent, No. 535,228.

In my prior patent the outer or forward ends of the snapping-rolls areheld in independently-movable spring-supported frames in order that acertain resilience or yielding may be obtained in the rolls relative toeach other. I have found in practice, however, that under thevastly-varyin g conditions and sizes of the individual stalks of corn ina cornfield which a practical and efficient machine is called upon toencounter such a construction is not sufficient to meet everyrequirement. Sometimes the stalk is too large to pass readily throughthe snapping-rolls, or a stick or stone or other hard substance may beencountered, requiring the rolls to spread apart beyond the capacity ofany springmounted frame construction, thereby resulting either in abreakage of parts or else in a material injury or loss of efficiency. Inorder to overcome the objections noted, Ijournal the rear ends of thesnapping-rolls 2t in a casting 26, the journal of one of said rollsbeing movable. For instance, as shown in Fig. 5, the casting 26 isprovided with an elongated slot adapted to receive the end of roll 25. Ablock 27 is arranged to slide back and forth in said slot and is shapedto engage the roll 25. A set-screw 29 serves to adjust the block 27 backand forth, and a spring 29 is arranged in said slot to bear against saidblock and hold the same yieldingly against the roll. 13y suitablyloosening the set-screw 28 the roll 85 may be permitted a yieldinglateral movement in its journal-box relative to its companion roll A,whereby any abnormally large obstruction may pass between the rollswithout danger or liability of breakage. The shaft 21 of roll 2% hasmounted thereon a gear 30, arranged to mesh with a similar gear 31,mounted upon roll 25, whereby said rolls are driven in oppositedirections, and to permit of the lateral motion above described of saidroll :35 with reference to roll 24: the gear-teeth of said gears 30 31are made of correspondingly-increased length to maintain theirintermeshing.

The rolls 2t 25 are formed with the intermeshing corrugations and spiralraised ribs, the same as in my prior patent, and one of said rolls israised in slightly-higher plane than the other, as shown.

In order to prevent clogging or choking up of the stalks of corn at theextreme rearends of the snapping-rolls, I provide one of said rolls witha blade or knife 33, arranged to OX tend longitudinally of the roll, asshown. By this means I insure a detaclnnent of the ear of corn from thestalk which might be of such a height as to fail to pass through thesnapping-rolls entirely before the length of the rolls is traversedthereby or where the stalk is not fed properly, the said knife or bladeoperating to sever the car from the stalk.

In my prior patent is shown and described a structure wherein, in casethe machine is employed in the field as a traction-machine, the stalksof corn are properly gathered and fed to the snapping-rolls bygathering-chains, one chain being employed on each side. I have found inpractice that sometimes the stalks are weak and brittle, and when themachine is not driven in a perfectly straight line the impingment ofsome part of the machine against; the stalk causes it to break and tofall forwardly or in the direction in which the machine is travelingbefore the gathering-chains can feed it to the roll, or after beingengaged by the projecting fingers of the gathering-chains the stalkssometimes break aml from the overweight of the car it falls forwardlywithout being fed to the rolls, and, again, the stalks of corn maybebent over in variousdirections bythe wind and are broken down by themachine without being fed to the machine. In all such cases the ears ofcorn are not harvested, thereby requiring the machine to be followed upin order to collect and harvest the corn thus left by the machine. Inorder to avoid these defects and objections and to produce an efficientmachine wherein the liability to loss from the causes stated is reducedto a minim um, I provide the following construction: Arranged tointermesh with and to be driven by the corrugations of the rolls 2t 25,after the manner of my prior patent, are the worm-blocks 33, each ofwhich is mounted upon shaft 3.4;. Upon each shaft is mounted asprocket-gear arranged and adapted to actuate a gathering-chain 236,suitably mounted around a guide-sprocket (indicated at 37, Fig. 4)carried by a suitable projection B of the framework. This gatheringchainis provided with projecting ti ngers, and its arrangement, constructionand function, and mode of operation may be substantially the same as inmy prior patents. Loosely coupled to rotate with shaft 3-1 is a sectionof shaft 35, having thereon a sprocket adapted to actuate agathering-chain 38, mounted around a sprocket-wheel 39 and having theprojecting fingers, as shown, similar to the gathering-chains 23b. Thesprockets 3t) and chains 38 are supported upon a bracket ll, pivotallymounted on shaft 35 and adj ustably secured at their front ends upon abracket :12, the series of holes t3 and the bolts it a tlfording meansfor adjusting the front ends of said brackets toward or from each other.In this manner the projecting fingers of the pair of gathering-chainsmay be brought in close proximity to each other and form an inclosingbracket to grasp the stalk of corn and feed the same and prevent thesame from falling forwardly or in the direction in which the machine istraveling, the said pairs of chains 38 being, as shown, elevated abovetheir cooperatingehains 3t In order to permit of thisswingingmovementoradjustmenttoward'and from each other of the frontportions or supports of the gathering-chains 3S, I loosely and flexiblyconnect: and couple the sections of shafts 3t and 3:5,as clearly shownin Figs. (3 and 7, wherein I mount a coupling-thimble 15 on one of. saidsections, preferablyon section I} This thimble is provided with a socketti comprising a square base and a flaring outer edge, as shown, and theend of the section of shaft to be coupled is pointed and has planedsides, thereby forming a pyramid, as at 47, which is adapted to bereceived loosely in the squared portion of socket lb. From thisconstruction it will be seen that the rotation imparted to section 3t ofthe shaft through wormblock 333 is transmitted to section 335 throughthe engagement of the squared portion of the socket -10 with thepyramidal. end of said section 35, while at the same time the connectionis flexible, the section being permitted a movement in said socketwithout releasing said engagement. 'lhe holding-chains 3 are eachsuitably covered over to prevent portions of the stalks from cloggingthe same up by means of a cover 48.

Extending forwardly from the front ends of the supports for chains 36and 38 are the toes 49 50, pivotally mounted on the framework of themachine, as at 51, to swing in a vertical plane. A suitableconically-shaped covering or casin g 52 53 is arranged to inclose saidtoes, and said coverings are adjustably secured to the casing orcoverings 48, as by means of the bolts 54. By securing said bolt ineither one or the other of the holes provided therefor the degree ofdepression or elevation of the toes in a Vertical plane may be readilyregulated. It will be seen that the forward end of casing 48 is inclinedor arc-shaped about the pivotbolt 51 as a center in order to permit toes49 to swing or be adjusted as to their inclination to the longitudinal.The toes 49 50 and their adjustment in a vertical plane play animportant part in the successful operation of the machine. The functionof these toes is to insure that the stalks of corn are properly guidedto the gathering and holding devices. As the machine travels through thefield, for instance, the toes, one on each side of the row of corn, forma channel. It frequently happens that the stalk is broken or bent down.By adjusting the inclination of the toes so that their extreme forwardtips are in close proximity to the ground the stalks that are bent overor blown down are raised up into position to be grasped by the gatheringand holding devices.

After the ear of corn has been detached from the stalk by thesnapping-rolls 24 25 it falls into a raceway or channel arrangedalongside the rolls, being assisted into the said race way or channel bythe arrangement of the rolls 24 25 with respect to each other-- that is,the arrangement of the roll 24 in a higher plane than roll 25. In theraceway or channel is arranged acarrier-chain 55, having flanges '56thereon and driven by suitable gearing from shaft 35 in a manner similarto that shown and described in my prior patents.

The ears of corn are delivered by the carrier 55 into a casing in whichoperates a suitable carrier, which in the form shown comprises anendless belt 57, having pusher-fingers 58 thereon and suitably driven oractuated, as by means of a sprocket-chain 59, driven from shaft 23,saidsprocket-chain driving the roll 60, upon which the carrier-belt 57 ismounted. The carrier 57 is arranged to travel in a casing comprising theside frames 61 62, forming a trough. In this casing and arranged tooperate upon the ears of corn as they are fed along by the carrier-belt57 are the huskdoosening devices, the function of which is to loosen thehusks upon the ears, thereby facilitating the action of the bushingmechanism, presently to be described. I will now describe theconstruction and mode of operation of the husk loosening devices.Suitably supported in the casing are two or more sets of bars, the barsof each set comprising alternating flatwise and edgewise arranged plates63 64. Spikes 65 are arranged in the under surface of theflatwise-arranged plates or bars 63, while the under edges of theedgewise arranged plates or bars 64 are smooth. The sets of bars 63 64are arranged above the path in which the ears of corn are carried by thepusher-fingers 58 of carrier 57. It is important that theseloosening-bars be yieldingly mounted in order to yieldingly hold theears of corn and at the same time to accommodate for varying sizes ofears. It is also important that the entrance of the ears of corn to thespace between the looseningbars and the carrier be unobstructed. Inorder to secure these objects, I mount these bars in the followingmanner: Gross-bars 66 are arranged to extend at suitable distances aparttransversely across the trough from one side frame 61 to the other frame62, and said crossbarsare provided with perforations, through which arearranged to pass loosely the rods 67, which rods are secured to the barsor plates 63 64, each bar or plate being provided-With a rod 67, saidrods being secured to said bars or plates at the far ends thereof withreference to the direction in which the'carrier 57 travels. The rods 67are provided with heads, as shown at 68, which serve to support the barsor plates. To each bar or plate 63 64, adjacent to the point ofattachment of rod 64, is secured one end of a U shaped leaf or othersuitably-shaped spring 69, the other ends of said spring being arrangedto bear against the under side of cross-bars 66. the springs 69 is tonormally and yieldingly hold the bars or plates 63 64 in their lowestposition, the sliding connection of rods 67 in the perforations incross-bars 66 permitting.

said plates or bars 64 63 to rock about the shaft or support 129 for therear ends of said bars or plates when an abnormally-large-sized ear ofcorn is encountered.

- By the construction above described the forward ends of the bars orplates 63 64 with reference to the direction of travel of the carrier 57are normally held in close proximity to the surface of the carrier-belt57, while the rear ends of said bars or plates are elevated a sufficientdistance above the carrier-belt by the supporting-shafts 129 in the sideframes 61 62 to insure the admission of the largestsized ear withoutobstruction to the space between said bars or plates and the carrier.

The operation of this part. of my invention is as follows: The cars ofcorn after being delivered from the snapping-rolls are forced by thepusher-fingers 58 of the carrier-belt.

57 under the husk-loosening bars or plates 63 64. The edgewise-arrangedplates 64, having their under edges smooth, serve to hold the ears withsufficient firmness down upon the carrier-belt 57, while the spikes 65on the under surface of the bars 63 eifect a loosening or tearing ofthehusk, leaving the husks in condition to be acted upon by the husk-The action of ing-rolls presently to be described. From the upper end ofthe carrier-belt 57 the ears of corn, after being subjected to thisaction of the husk-loosening devices above described, are delivered intoa suitable hopper 70, having an inclined bottom 71, Fig. 3, down whichthe ears slide and from which they are delivered to the husliingmechanism, which will now be described.

Suitably journaled in the framework of the machine are a series ofparallelly-arranged rolls 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, and 77. 111 the form shownI provide six of the rolls, though it is evident that any suitable ordesired number of rolls maybe employed. Through suitable intermeshinggears '78, mounted on these rolls, said rolls are rotatedsimultaneously, adjacent rolls rotating in opposite directions withrespect to each other. If desired, one or more of the rolls may beprovided with a spirally-arranged rib or projection 79, the function ofwhich is to grasp the loosened husks of the ears of corn and tear thesame from the car as it is fed along the rolls. The rolls may be drivenin any suitable or convenient manner. I have shown a form ofdriving-gearing wherein a sprocket-chain 80 is driven from the shaft 23,and after passing over a suitable guide-sprocket 81 it passes firstunder a gear 82 upon the shaft of one of the husking-rolls-for instance,roll thence over a gear 53 on the shaft of another of the rolls, as roll73, and thence back to shaft 23. By this means rolls 73 and 76 aredriven in opposite directions, thereby properly rotating all of saidrolls through the intermeshing gears 78, as will be readily understood.It is important that the ears of corn be held yieldingly,though withsufficient firmness, to the action of the husking-rolls in order thatthe husks may be thoroughly and efficiently removed. It is alsoimportant that provision be made for operating on differentsized earswith equal efficiency. It is also important that provision be madewhereby the ears of corn are prevented from being fed along thehuskingrolls without having their husks grasped by said rolls andproperly removedas, for instance, the case would be if the ears are fedin a straight line and endwise down the groove or channel between twoadjacent rolls rotating in a direction away from each other. In order tosecure these advantageous results, I provide the following mechanism: Inthe side frames Sat 85, forming the trough or casing in which thehusking-rolls are mounted and at points adjacent to the ends of saidrolls, I suitably journal the shafts 8U 87, and upon these shafts andadapted to be actuated thereby I mount the endless chains 88 80, one ateach end of said shafts. The cross-bars 00 are arranged to connect saidchains at suitable intervals. Upon each of the cross-bars 00 I mount aseries of springplates 91. The spring-plates are preferably in the formof spirals, being attached at one end to the bar, and after forming oneor more loose convolutions having their free ends extended rearwardlywith reference to the direction in which the said bars are moved by thechains 88 89. Preferably the rearwardlyextending ends of thespring-plates have extended surfaces and are stamped out or otherwiseprovided with central hollows or corrugations extending lengthwisethereof, as clearly shown. The spring-plates 01 are arranged in suchclose proximity to each other that their rearwardly-extending ends formpractically a continuous surface, as shown. The shaft 80 is positivelydriven in the following manner: Upon one of the bushingrolls is mounteda gear 02, arranged to mesh with and drive a gear 03 upon a shaft 04,suitably journaled in the framework and upon which is mounted a sprocket95, adapted to engage and drive a sprocket-chain 06, which in turnengages and drives a gear 07, mounted 011 to rotate with said shaft 80,but permitting said shaft to move endwise therethrough. In order toimpart to the ears of corn while being subjected to the action of thehusking-rolls and while fed therealong under the influence of thespring-plates 01 a reciprocatory rolling motion to insure a complete andefficient husking of the ears under all conditions, I mount the shafts80 S7 to reciprocate endwise in their bearings, and I so mount thechains 88 80 as to move with said shafts when they are reciprocated,while at the same time said chains are driven by the simultaneousrotation of said shaft 80. The reciprocatory movements are imparted tothe shafts 86 S7 simultaneously with their rotation in the followingmanner: Upon each shaft 80 87 are rigidly mounted a pair of collars 98.Between each pair of collars is adapted to be received the end of alever 101. Each lever is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends upon astationarily-held cross-bar 102 103, and the adjacent or meeting ends ofsaid levers 100 101 are loosely connected to a common sliding bar 101,as by means of a sl0t-and-pin connection, as indicated at 105, Fig. 1.\Vhen this bar 10-t is reciprocated, the levers 100 101 aresimultaneously rocked and the shafts S6 87 are reciprocated in unison.In order to secure an automatic reciprocation of bar 104 during theoperation of this part of myinvention, I connect one arm of a bell-cranklever 100 to said bar 104 and to the other arm of said bellerank lever Iattach one end of a pitman 107, the other end of said pitman beingconnected to a crank-arm 108 upon gear 05. In order to hold gear 97against movement other than rotary during the endwise reciprocation ofits supporting-shaft 86, I provide said gear with a flanged hub 109, theflange of said hub adapted to be received and held in agrooved plate110, suitably mounted upon the side frame Si. It will also be understoodthat the bell-crank lever 100 is pivotally mounted upon the side frameSt or other suitable fixed part of the machine-frame.

loosening is as follows: The ears of corn are delivered upon thehusking-rolls 72 73, 850., and are fed down and longitudinally withrespect to said rolls, being fed along and at the same time held to theaction of said rolls by the traveling spring-plates 91. By the rotationof said rolls, adjacent rolls being rotated in opposite directions, thehusks which have previously been torn or loosened by the huskdevicesabove described are grasped between the rolls and torn from the ear andare fed through or between the rolls while the ears are fed onwardly.The reciprocatory movement imparted to the traveling springs 91 impartsa rolling motion to the ears from one pair of rolls to another, therebypresenting difierent portions of the husks to the grasping action of thehusking-rolls, the hollowed or stamped out corrugations or grooves inthe spring-plates 91 facilitating this rolling action of the ears andthe springplates yielding sufficiently to accommodate the vastly-varyingsizes of ears which the machine is called upon to husk. The husks, afterbeing removed from the cars by the husking -rolls, are received upon aconveyerbelt 111, suitably actuated, as by means of a sprocket-chain112, from shaft 9 1, and by which said husks are delivered to the rearof the machine, where they may be collected, if desired, in any suitablemanner and preserved for future use. Immediately beneath the deliveryend of the husk conveyer-belt 111 I provide a suitable receptacle 113,adapted to receive and save from loss any loose grains of corn which maybecome detached from the ear during the husk loosening or removingoperations. In order to prevent the husks from filling this receptacle,but at the same time to permit the grains of corn to be deposited insaid receptacle, I pivotally mount an inclined grating .114: over thereceptacle 113 and immediately adjacent to the delivery end of the huskconveyer-belt, said grating being inclined downwardly and away from saidbelt, as shown, (see more particularly Fig. 3,) the said grating beingmounted on suitable pintles, as indicated at 115. v A projection 116 ofsaidgra'ting is arranged in the path of a pin 117 upon the feed-roll ofthe conveyer-belt 111, whereby an agitation is imparted to said grating,thereby facilitating the discharge of the loose husks and preventing thesame from clogging up the entrance to the receptacle 113. From thehusking-rolls the husked ears are delivered into a hopper 118, in thebottom of which is mounted a shaft 119, suitably driven, as by means ofa sprocket-chain 120, from a gear on the-forward end of one of thehusking-rolls. Side frames 121 and 122, extending upwardly and outwardlyfrom this hopper, form a troughjor channel, and a conveyer-belt 123 ismounted in this trough or channel and is provided with suitablepusher-fingers or paddles 124 and is arranged around said shaft 119 andaround another shaft in the outer ends of said side frames 121 and 122,thus forming a means for delivering the husked ear from the machine intoany suitably-arranged receiveras, for instance, a wagonwhich may travelalong through the field alongside the husking-machine for that purpose.to prevent the pusher-fingers from catching the wagon-bed and therebybeing broken off, I provide the guard-plate 125 to cover and protectsaid conveyer at the point where the wagon-bed would strike said belt,as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

It may sometimes occur that a stalk or ear or other matter will choke upthe snappingrolls or other part of the machine, and thereby prevent themachine from performing effective work. In such case it may be desirableto operate the mechanism by hand and independently of the usual or maindriving mechanism. In order to accomplish this object, I provide a shortshaft 126, upon which are mounted a hand operating-wheel127 and In ordera gear-wheel 128, said gear-wheel being arranged to mesh with gear 18,by which the snapping-rolls are driven. By suitably manipulating thehand-Wheel 127 the snappingrolls may be rotated independently of themain driving means. Of course it will be understood that it is customaryto provide a suitable clutch in the train .of gearing, by which theseveral parts are actuated from the main shaft or axle, though none isshown in the present case, whereby the machine may be drawn from placeto place Without actuating the several mechanisms,and when it is desiredto rotate the snapping-rolls independently of the main shaft through themedium of hand-wheel 127, as above explained, the gearing wherebysaidrolls are driven from the main shaft is unclutched. By constructingthe hand-wheel127 of considerable size and arranging the gears 12S and18 to be in constant mesh with said hand-wheel it operates as abalance-wheel for the snappingrolls during the operation of the machine,

thereby securing greater steadiness of operation.

It will be observed that the snapping-rolls are arranged fore and aftwith reference to the direction of travel of the machine and uponthe'outside of the draft-wheels, and that the husking-rolls aresimilarly arranged and upon the outside of the draft-wheels and on theopposite side of the machine from the snapping-rolls, and that thehusk-loosening devices are arranged in the path of the conveyer, whichtransfers the ears of corn from the snapping-rolls to the husking-rolls,and that such conveyer is arranged to extend transverse to the directionin which the machine moves and at the rear of the machine, and that themain driving-gearing for all parts of the machine is arranged betweenthe traction-wheels. From this organization and general arrangement andrelative location of parts the machine is evenly balanced, there byreducing to aminimum the power required to operate the machine.

The operation of the machine will be fully understood from the foregoingdescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Having now explained the object and nature of my invention and a form ofapparatus embodying the same and having explained the construction,function, and mode of operation of such apparatus, I desire it to bedistinctly understood that I do not confine or limit myself to the exactdetails of construction shown and described, as many variationstherefrom would readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in the artand still fall within the spirit and scope of myinvention; but

\Vhat I do claim as new and of my own invention, and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a corn harvester and husker, a main frame, an axle journaledtherein, tractionwheels mounted on said axle, ear-detaching devicesarranged in said main frame, alongside the traction-wheel on one side ofthe machine but on the outside of such wheel, said car-detaching deviceextending longitudinally of the machine, husking devices arrangedalongside the traction-wheel on the opposite side of the machine but onthe outside of said wheel, and extending longitudinally of the machine,husk-looscning devices arranged to extend transversely of the machineand .to the rear of the traction-wheels, and means for conveying thedetached car from said detaching devices past said husklooscniug devicesand delivering the same to said husking devices, as and for the purposeset forth.

2. In a corn harvester and hnsker, a main frame, an axle jonrnaledtherein, tractionwheels mounted on said axle and adapted to support saidmain frame, snapging-rolls for detaching the ears of corn, said rollsbeing arranged to extend in the direction of travel of the machine andalongside the tractionwheel on one side of the machine but outside ofsuch wheel, husk-removing rolls arranged to extend in the direction inwhich the machine travels, and alongside the tractionwheel on theopposite side of the machine, but on the outside of said wheel, acarrier for conveying the detached car from the snapping-rolls to thehusk-removing rolls, said carrier arranged to travel transversely of themachine, to the rear of the traction-wheels, and husk-loosening devicesarranged in the path of travel of such carrier, as and for the purposeset forth.

3. In a corn harvester, snappingrolls, means for actuating the same,gathering devices for engaging and presenting the stalks to said rolls,vertical shafts arranged to be driven by said snapping-rolls foractuating said gathering devices, auxiliary chains arranged above saidgathering devices for supporting and guiding the stalks while beingpresented to said snapping rolls, vertical. shafts foraetuatingsaidauxiliarychains, said shafts loosely connected to and driven by thegathering devices driving-shafts, as and for the purpose set forth.

*1:- In a corn harvester, snapping rolls, means for actuating the same,gathering devices, vertical shafts arranged to be driven by saidsnapping-rolls for actuating said gathering devices, auxiliary chainsarranged above said gathering devices for supporting and guiding thestalks, means for adjusting said chains toward and from each other,vertical shafts for actuating said auxiliary chains, and flexibleconnections, whereby said shafts are driven by the driving-shafts ofsaid gathering devices; as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a corn harvester, snapping rolls, means for actuating the same,vertical shafts arranged to be driven by said rolls, gathering devicesactuated by said shafts, a coupling joint provided with squared socketsmounted on the upper ends of; said shafts, auxiliary shafts verticallyarranged and adapted to be loosely stepped in and driven by saidcoupling-joint, supporting-chains actuated by said auxiliary shafts, andmeans for adjusting said chains toward and from each other; as and forthe purpose set forth.

6. In a corn-harvester, snapping-rolls, for detaching the cars from thestalks, said snapping-rolls provided with spiral corrugations, means forrotating said rolls in opposite directions, one of said rolls providedwith a knife adjacent to the rear end thereof, said knife being arrangedlongitudinally with respect to said roll; as and for the purpose setforth.

7. In acorn-harvester, a pair of snappingrolls for detaching the cars ofcorn from the stalks, means for rotating said rolls in oppositedirections,an independentjournal-box for the front end of each of saidrolls, said journalboxes being rigid with reference to each other, ajournal-box common to both of said rolls at the rear ends thereof, thebearing for the rear end of one of said rolls being immovable, saidlast-mentioned journal-box provided with an elongated slot to receivethe rear end of the other of said rolls, a spring-pressed adjustableblock mounted in said slot and adapted to form part of the bearing forsaid roll whereby said roll is permitted a lateral. yielding movementonly at the rear end thereof wit-h reference to its companion roll, asand for the purpose set forth.

8. In a corn-harvester, means for loosening the husks on the earspreparatory to the removal thereof from said ears, comprising a conveyorbelt or chain arranged to convey the ears of corn, means for actuatingthe same, and a series of independent plates arranged above the planeof, and in angular relation to the path of travel of said conveyor, saidplates being pivotally mounted independently of each other at the endthereof farthest from the conveyor, and yieldingly mounted at the endthereof in closest proximity to the conveyer, as and for the purpose setforth.

9. In a corn-harvester, means for loosening the husks on the earspreparatory to the re moval thereof from said ears, comprising aconveyer arranged to convey the ears of corn, means for actuating thesame, and a series of independent plates arranged alternately ed gewiseand fiatwise in a plane above, and in angular relation to the path oftravel of said conveyer, said. flatWise-arranged plates provided' withspikes and said edgewise-arranged plates presenting a smooth undersurface, and all of said plates pivotally mounted independently of eachother at the end thereof farthest from the conveyer, and yieldinglymounted at the end thereof in closest proximity to the conveyer, as andfor the purpose set forth.

10. In a corn-husker, a trough, a conveyerbelt arranged to traveltherein, cross-bars supported upon said trough, a series of plateshaving rods secured thereto, said rods arran ged to be slidinglysupported by said crossbars, said plates having spikes projectingpartinga lateral vibration to said carrier; as

and for the purpose set forth.

12. In a corn -harvester, huskingrolls adapted to remove the husks fromthe ears,

means for rotating said rolls, a series of springplates attached at oneend thereof to said carrier and then bent to form one or more spiralconvolutions, and having their other or free ends extending in adirection opposite to that in which the carrier travels, and means forimparting a lateral vibration to said carrier; as and for the purposeset forth.

13. In a corn-husker, husking-rolls adapted to remove the husks from theears, means for rotating said rolls, a traveling carrier arranged oversaid rolls, a series of spring-plates attached at one end thereof tosaid carrier and then bent to form one or more spiral convolutions andhaving their other or free ends extending in a direction opposite tothat in which said carrier travels, said free ends being bent or stampedto form a hollow or corrugation longitudinally thereof, and means forimparting a lateral reciprocation to said carrier; as and for thepurpose set forth.

1%. In a corn-husker, a trough, a series of husking-rolls mountedtherein, means for rotating said rolls, a shaft mounted transversely insaid trough at eaehend thereof, a pair of sprocket-chains mounted onsaid shaft, crossbars connecting said chains, spring-plates mounted onsaid bars, means for rotating one of said shafts, and means forsimultaneously therewith imparting a lateral reciprocation to saidchains; as and for the purpose set forth.

15. In a corn-husker, a trough, a series of husking-rolls journaledtherein, means for rotating the same, a shaft arranged transversely insaid trough at each end thereof, a carrier mounted on and adapted to beactuated by said shafts, collars mounted on each shaft, pivoted levershaving their ends arranged between said collars, means for posi tivelyrotating one of said shafts, and means for simultaneously therewithvibrating the opposite ends of said levers, whereby a reciprocatoryvibration is imparted to said carrier; as and for the purpose set forth.

16. In a corn-husker, means for husking the cars, a conveyer-bcltadapted'to receive and deliver the husks, a receptacle arranged adjacentto the delivery end of said conveyer,

adapted to receive the detached grains of' corn, a grating arranged oversaid receptacle, and means for vibrating said gratlng; as and forthepurpose set forth.

17. In a corn-husker, means for removing the husks from the ears, aoonveyer-belt adapted to receive and deliver the husks, a receptaclearranged adjacent to the delivery end of said conveyer, adapted toreceive the detached grains of corn, a pivotally-mountedrearWardly-inclined grating arranged oversaid receptacle, and means forperiodically rocking said grating about its pivots; as and for thepurpose set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of March,1896.

AUGUST STEINER.

Witnesses:

SIDNEY BRIGGS, S. E. DARBY.

